Heroes

This week we honor our veterans and celebrate the 233rd birthday of the United States Marine Corps.

As a veteran Marine, I’m proud to be associated with this courageous group of men and women who risk so much in defense of our country while asking for so little in return.

Take some time this week to reach out to all members of the armed forces, past and present, and just say thank you. It means more than you can imagine.

Happy Birthday Marines! Semper Fi.

More Gourmet Desserts From Scone Mix

One of my fondest memories of living in Chicago for many years was taking our family to the apple orchard on a crisp Fall Saturday afternoon. Our kids would run around the orchard and gather up a bushel of apples, then we would stop at the bakery and load up on taffy apples, apple slices (I think that's a pastry unique to Chicago) and fresh apple cider. For the next couple of weeks we would splurge on freshly baked apple pies and tarts, hot cider and slices of cold, crisp apples sprinkled with cinnamon.

With apple picking season approaching we put together a recipe for a quick and easy apple tart. We hope you enjoy it and create some great memories of your own.

Apple Tart (serves 8)

You will need:
• 1 package of Iveta Gourmet Apple Spice Scone Mix
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg for egg wash (optional-creates golden brown crusts)
• 5 small fresh apples

Directions
• preheat oven to 350 degrees
• peel 5 small apples and slice into thin wedges (15-20 slices per apple).
• soften 6 tablespoons of butter.
• add 6 tablespoons of softened butter and 1/3 cup of milk to Apple Spice Scone Mix. (Mix well- make sure no large chunks of butter are in the dough).
• use a floured surface and cut dough into 8 equal parts.
• form 8 flattened circles.
• brush egg wash on both sides of dough circles. Place dough on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
• bake for 10-15 minutes.
• in a sauce pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the cut apples wedges and a pinch of cinnamon; saute for about 10 minutes.
• remove circles from oven; flip the circles and arrange the sauteed apple wedges on top; brush once again with egg wash and bake for another 10 minutes or until they are golden brown.
• remove from oven and serve hot with vanilla bean ice cream...yum!

Don't Raise Prices, Just Redefine Value!

I recently read a blog by John Quelch, a distinguished Harvard professor, offering advice to "marketers" who are faced with managing prices in inflationary times. One solution offered by the professor is to "redefine value" instead of raising prices, which appears to be corporate-speak for making your product smaller or cheaper, which Quelch says is "something the candy industry always does in response to inflation."

I'm not sure I'm a "marketer" (somehow that sounds offensive), but I am old enough to remember decades of shrinking candy bars. We always called that "cutting corners", not redefining value. Customers understand the need to increase prices; they just don't like to be taken advantage of. Making something smaller or cheaper and hoping the customer doesn't notice is insulting. Maybe the professor thinks the average Joe is too dumb to care.

I wonder how the professor would feel if his cardiologist or Mercedes dealer decided they were going to redefine the value of the products or services he purchased.

From Scone Mix to Gourmet Dessert

Planning a dinner party? Unexpected company? Interested in a quick, easy and inexpensive gourmet dessert to delight your family or friends?

Try our recipe for a Very Berry Trifle.

Ingredients
• one box of Iveta Gourmet lemon scone mix
• 4 cups seasonal berries
• 1 8oz jar of lemon curd
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 8oz whipped cream (home-made or from can)
• 8-10 clear serving glasses

Directions
• preheat oven to 350 degrees
• follow the directions on the scone mix to make the dough
• press the dough on a flat cutting board into a flat sheet 3/4" thick
• use a serving glass as a cookie cutter and cut dough into circles
• place dough on greased baking sheet (or use parchment paper)
• bake for 15-20 minutes
• test by inserting toothpick into center of scones until it comes out clean
• remove scones from oven and allow to cool
• slice scones horizontally (like a biscuit)
• begin layering in serving glasses – 1 slice scone, lemon curd, berries and whipped cream . . . repeat until glass is full
• refrigerate or serve and enjoy!

Visit us online for other quick and easy recipes.

Are baked from scratch scones really better?

We manufacture baking mixes. Our scone mixes, in particular, are very popular. For ten years we’ve been traveling around the country sampling our products at hundreds of trade shows, consumer fairs and specialty stores. The customers like them; we’ve had favorable press and won awards; even Oprah liked them enough to feature them on her “O List”.

Yet, it seems like at every stop we have an encounter with a customer that goes something like this:

She approaches, sees our products and says: “Oh, I love scones.” I smile and offer her a sample . . . she tastes, pauses and smiles. I smile back . . . She says: “This is really good” . . . I smile again. She pauses . . . I know what’s coming . . . the dreaded three words: "for a mix”.

My stomach tightens. I smile through clenched teeth. Was that supposed to be a compliment or an insult? All the old insecurities I thought I conquered come rushing back: being stood up for a date; not making the team; the job rejections. I don’t care what the Godfather says. It’s not just business–it’s personal.

Just what is it that makes people think baked from scratch is always better?

The ingredients? Our mixes are all natural, not some box full of chemicals. We use freshly milled, low protein artisan flour, organic unrefined sugar, Blenheim apricots (the best on the market) purchased directly from the farm and other top quality ingredients. Compare that to what you find in your local supermarket.

Is it the preparation? Our mix is quick and easy; you just add heavy cream, mix and bake to get a fluffy, moist scone. People are in a hurry. They want quick and easy, don’t they?

Maybe not. I suppose that for some people, baking scones is an art form, requiring more precision and skill than the average home cook possesses. Quick and easy means you cut corners and don’t do it the right way. They take pride in doing it the traditional way. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Cut butter into the flour. . . but make sure the butter is cold. Mix the dough . . . but not too much . . . until its crumbly. Add the other ingredients and slowly fold in the eggs . . . but don’t handle the dough too much. Knead the dough . . . is it 4 or 5 times? . . . but not too much. Do it just right and chances are you’ll still end up with scones that are dense and dry.

Personally, I think it’s the nostalgia factor that makes people think baked from scratch is better. They remember their childhood when Mom made freshly-baked scones from Grandma’s recipe and the whole family was there together to enjoy them. No TV, cell phones, internet or soccer practice. The family actually sat around, read the Sunday paper and talked to one another. How could those scones not taste great?

I know, after ten years I should just get over it and stop whining. People are always going to think that baked from scratch is better than a mix, no matter what we do.

So I go back to sampling.

Another customer approaches and says “Oh, I love scones. I smile and offer her a sample . . . she tastes, pauses and smiles. I smile back . . . She says: “This is really good” . . . I smile again. She pauses . . . here it comes again . . . and she says: “Why don’t mine taste like this?

Life is good.

Become an Iveta Gourmet Affiliate

Over the past 10 years Iveta Gourmet has become one of the leading manufacturers of all natural, easy-to-bake scone, muffin, biscuit and cupcake mixes. We offer gourmet baking mixes in over 30 flavors, imported English jams, curds and clotted cream, a selection of US made certified organic jams and a variety of quality kitchen and tea accessories.

By becoming an Iveta Gourmet Affiliate you can:
• earn extra cash immediately, with little or no effort on your part;
• raise funds for your favorite charity or not-for-profit organization;
• expand your product line if you’re an online retailer;
• add value to your web site if you don’t currently sell online; and
• enhance your site’s content with our award-winning gourmet products.

The program is free – no application or membership fees and no minimum purchase requirements. All you have to do is place our banners or logo on your web site, in your emails or wherever you have an internet presence. When a visitor to your site clicks our link and makes a purchase on iveta.com you automatically receive a commission. We handle the packing, shipping and billing. You can even sign up sub-affiliates and earn commissions on their referrals.

Getting started is easy. Just complete the brief application and you could be earning extra revenue in a few days.

For additional information on the program click here.

Re-stock Your Pantry Sale
Don’t forget to take advantage of our big, semi-annual Re-Stock Your Pantry Sale. Save up to 20%. Visit our retail or wholesale sites for details. Sale ends June 30.

Coping With Increasing Costs

We’re all painfully aware of the impact that higher fuel and food costs have had on our businesses and every day lives. Since January, 2008 our cost of flour has increased by 60%; sugar is up over 25%; and dried fruits like cranberries, blueberries, cherries, apricots and strawberries have all increased from 10-25%. Even our English imports are 25% more expensive as a result of the substantial decline of the US Dollar. Gas is predicted to top $5.00 by July, the Dollar keeps sliding and we have been told to expect more increases in the cost of ingredients.

While there are no quick or easy solutions to the country’s economic problems, our goal is to provide value to our customers through our pantry sales and monthly promotions, while helping to reduce our costs by improving cash flow and keeping inventory low.

We never compromise the quality of our products by using inferior ingredients or reducing portion sizes and we try to share the burden of increasing costs. By working together we can get through these tough economic times.

Re-Stock Your Pantry Sale

Its time again for our semi-annual Re-Stock Your Pantry Sale

With our entire product line on sale and no end in sight to skyrocketing fuel and commodity prices, this is the perfect time to re-stock your favorite gourmet foods, try some new items and purchase some great gift items.

• Save up to 20%
• Sale ends June 30, 2008.

For our online retail store click www.iveta.com.

Our wholesale customers can visit www.sconecentral.com

New Hours

With skyrocketing gas prices and no let-up in sight we decided to try and do our small part to help ease the pain for our office and warehouse crew.

Effective Monday, June 16, 2008 our new business hours will be Monday through Thursday, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Pacific time.

You can still contact us 24/7 toll-free at 877-712-2777; by email at iveta@iveta.com or by fax at 831-423-5169. Messages will be checked regularly on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Orders placed on Fridays and weekends will be given priority for shipment the following Monday.

Iveta Gourmet Opens New Showrooms

Santa Cruz, CA – June, 2008

Iveta Gourmet Inc. announced the opening of new showrooms at The Market Center in Dallas (#180-A22) and Americas Mart in Atlanta (8102B). The Dallas showroom will be open for the upcoming Dallas Gift Show, June 18-24. The Atlanta showroom is under construction and will be open to the public in January, 2009.

The opening of the new showrooms is part of the company’s ongoing plan to substantially increase its marketing and sales operations throughout the US.

Iveta Gourmet Inc. is a leading manufacturer of award-winning, all natural gourmet baking mixes. The company also distributes a line of premium domestic organic jams and imported English jams, curds and clotted cream.



For information contact:
John Bilanko
831-423-5149 Ph
877-712-2777 Toll-free
831-423-5169 Fax
info@iveta.com
www.iveta.com

What is Clotted Cream?

Clotted cream has been produced for generations in the counties of Devon and Cornwall in South West England. It is produced using milk from cows, similar to American jersey cattle, whose milk has a very high butterfat content. Traditionally, the cream was skimmed from the top of the milk and gently heated in shallow copper pans for at least an hour until the surface became encrusted with a rich golden top. It was then left to cool and used the next day with scones, already spread with jam and served with piping hot tea. A great British tradition! Commercially prepared clotted cream has been gently heat treated for a longer shelf life and is packaged in hermetically sealed jars without the encrusted top layer.

Describing clotted cream is more difficult. Too thick to pour, but too thin to slice, it is similar to butter, but tastes like cream not fat. Unlike crème fraiche, which has a faint sour tang, clotted cream is rich with the natural sweetness of cream. It is more like a very soft whipped cream without the air, with a very smooth and light taste. Our clotted cream has a 55% milk fat content and is similar in taste and texture to our Double Devon cream which has a 48% milk fat content.

A Proper Scone

One of life's simple pleasures is a freshly baked scone topped with jam and clotted cream. But for many, a scone is a just a huge triangle of dense, dry dough, lathered with frosting, that's usually left over in the pastry case of the local coffee chain.

The British view them as snacks, just enough to bridge the gap between lunch and dinner. They should be small, two ounces is about right, and not larger than the palm of your hand.

Recipes for preparing scones are too numerous to mention, but proper scones should be tender and moist, kind of like Southern biscuits that are a little sweet. Golden raisins and currants are traditional British additions, but in America other dried fruits, even chocolate chips have become popular.

Frosting, however, is not acceptable. They're not breakfast pastries. Think of them as vehicles for thick and rich clotted cream and great fruit preserves.

Dense, dry scones are usually blamed on technique. Mass commercial production affects quality and even home bakers should handle the dough as little as possible. Great ingredients make a big difference and lay off the sugar.

Next time you're offered a scone with jam and clotted cream, try it. You may be pleasantly surprised.

All Apricots Are Not Created Equal

Specialty food companies like to claim (often with little regard to the truth) that their products are the “best ever” or that they use the “finest available ingredients”. In the case of apricots, however, the differences in quality are dramatic.

In recent years the US market has been flooded with low priced, inferior quality apricots from Turkey and China. While some apricots are also produced in California, none can match the quality of the Blenheim apricot.

Grown in California’s Santa Clara valley, the Blenheim is tender and moist and generally regarded as the finest apricot on the market. Unfortunately, only 800 acres of orchards have survived the onslaught of land developers.

We buy our apricots directly from B&R Farms in Hollister, California, a family-owned business that has been growing incredibly delicious Blenheim apricots for over 30 years. Even the drive from Santa Cruz to Hollister is like a trip through Tuscany.

Since we use only Blenheim apricots in our products, it is no surprise that our apricot white chocolate muffin mix was awarded the $10,000 grand prize in the food competition held at America’s Best Food Show in Anaheim, CA and our apricot scone mix was honored as a finalist in the prestigious Outstanding Baked Goods competition held by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, something no other baking mix has achieved. Even Oprah liked our apricot scones enough to put them on her “O” list, “a few things she thinks are just great”.

Our Scones Have Been Nibbled

We're pleased to report that the editors of The Nibble, the popular online specialty food magazine, recently selected our scones as their Top Pick of the Week . In their review, the editors concluded that:
"Sometimes we are delightfully surprised when a product we thought would
be good, or very good, turns out to be...splendid."

Welcome!

We have a lot of new exciting changes for the upcoming year here at Iveta Gourmet and this Blog is one of them! We will keep you updated with baking tips, recipe ideas, news and upcoming events for our complete line of all natural, easy to bake, Scone, Muffin, Biscuit, and Cupcake Mixes.